Coffee bean Puppet

Still using the idea of a marionette as a metaphor for the control and enforcement associated with slavery, I decided to make a 3-D marionette puppet. So out of wire, papermache, and lots of glue, I made a little man with moveable limbs. I then painted him in black paint and glue on lots of coffee beans. I chose coffee beans as I have already been looking at the coffee bean slave trade. I made this coffee bean puppet for photography purposes, as I did not want the puppet itself to be the finished piece. I wanted the image to look like a childrens toy, discarded and not being played with. I wanted the viewer to realise on closer look that he was actually made from coffee beans. I wanted this to be a metaphor for child slave labour, how these children work all day instead of having a childhood, how the coffee bean trade has taken over and they themselves have lost their identity and how a destruction of innocence is present in the work.

Lino Cuts

I decided to create a lino cut. I wanted the image to be of a hand as this is what I have been looking at a lot recently in regard to my subject matter of modern day child slavery. I am also looking at the idea of a marionette as a metaphor for the control and enforcement that is central to slavery. The marionette handle controls every movement that the marionette makes - this is very similar to slavery as the slave never has a say is his/her actions and its only up to the slave owner commands. The marionette is also a childrens toy, so this carried my message of child slavery.

So for this print I cut a marionette handle with strings attached to a hand. The hand is reaching out for help as it being control.

I did get rather carried away when cutting into the lino, and if I had to do it again, I would have created more tonal qualities/layers etc.

 

After this, I drew an image of a fist wrapped in barbed wire in my sketchbook.

I liked this drawing, and the barbed wire detail wrapping around, which is representing the pain and trapped feeling inflicted onto the victims of slavery.

 

I then created a 3 colour lino cut of this hand but I would have preferred a lot more of the detail and now think that an etching would have created a more desired look.

 

Editing Photographs of Childrens hands.

Sketchbook work.

Childrens hands

As I am also looking at children's hands, as child labour is very common in modern day slavery. Luckily my mother runs her own playschool for children aged 3-5 so I got the opportunity to go in for half an hour and with the parents permission photographs the children's hands. My mother also used this as a teaching opportunity for the children to show them that everyone has different hands, different skin colour and different fingerprints.

Stitching

I have started stitching into paper and other materials as I am currently researching sweatshops where hand stitched garments are the goods which are being produced as a result of modern day slavery. I'm really enjoying this process and think that the results are turning out good. I am hoping to stitch into silk screen prints next week as I have had technical difficulties this week and only have one layer of ink down. Im also stitching into drawings and using stitching as a method of drawing itself. Im currently stitching a lot of hands as I am still looking into hands as a body part and tool of labour and many case studies state that hands become very damaged from stitching all day long as they do in the sweatshops.

I also purchased a young boys tshirt from penneys. Penneys is known for using sweatshops to produce their clothing, regardless of what they say. I stitched an image of handcuffs onto the front of the boys shirt. I did it in a way that from a distance it looks like a smiley face but you then realise that they are shackles.

Casting

I made a cast of my hand in plaster last week, it turned out pretty successful as none of the fingers broke, which is very possible when casting hands as the area is so delicate. Im hoping to make more casts in the future, using different materials, hopefully wax & resin. I also want to immerse materials inside the cast aswell. More than likely the goods which are linked with slavery.

Hands

As I started researching case studies, one thing that I noticed was that the word "hands" seemed to pop up a lot. Hands are seen as a tool of labour and many case studies mention that the slaves hands are noticeably damaged due to the constant hour after hour work. I started photographing my own hands, I then photoshopped them together, in different positions and started drawing from this. I also started drawing in dot work, to suggest the pricks from the needles ( looking at the hand stitched clothing sweatshops)

Coffee Beans

The majority of coffee beans n the world are a result of slave labour. The ivory coast in Africa is renowned for slaves and the coffee bean trade. Children as young as 8 are being sold by their parents or kidnapped to "farmers" who make them work in fields all day without any pay. I think that it is interesting that luxury goods such as coffee beans are linked and the result of such an illegal, horrible and inhuman work.

I began drawing slaves, but using coffee beans as their heads, suggesting that these people have lost their identity to the coffee bean trade and also that their owner only sees them as a source of the product, which turns to money on his behalf. 

I also began looking at Kara Walker's silhouettes she has made simply out of black and white paper, commenting on slavery, race, gender and equality. I myself was inspired and began creating silhouettes out of coffee beans of slaves on white paper.

Year 3 Self Initiated Project

For this years self initiated project, I have decided to base my project on the theme of modern day slavery. Firstly, I began researching case studies from around the world which focus primarily on the people who are being exploited and the goods which are the end product of their trade. Unfortunately, all of us contribute to modern day slavery at some point in our lives, most of the time unknowingly. Everyday products such as coffee, chocolate, sugar, clothing, tobacco etc. are all linked back to modern day slavery. I want to use these materials in my artwork and experiment with them.

Film Making

As part of Martin's film class, my group, which consisted of myself, Angela, Rita, Rebecca and Emma made a documentary of the people behind the college. We interviewed Sean the receptionist, Ann the librarian and Noel the caretaker. It was a very interesting project and we found out some very interesting things. We also got to learn how to use cameras, sound recorders, tripods, premier pro etc. We are hoping to get the chance to show it to the class at some stage, once Martin sees the finished piece.

Digital Media Work

For my digital media, I decided to upload some of my drawings and prints onto photoshop and alter them by using contrast, different colours, different filters etc.

 

 

Aquatint

I am hoping to now do an aquatint over my current etching. I think tonal qualities that can be achieved from aquatint would really suit this etching and help contribute to the concept of fading memories.

Etching

For my etching I decided to recreate an image from my memory of my grandmother's living room. I drew her old armchair out of memory, including a floral wallpaper, old fashioned pub lights and a light switch. I then drew this free hand onto the prepared zinc plate using a scribe. This etching helps me to remember my grandmother when she used to live in her home. I used a dark brown ink and I am hoping to handcolour one or two in my edition.

The Stages of Alzheimers - Woodcut Print

This is one of my prints which I entitled "The Stages of Alzheimer's , I used my woodcut stamp and by adding white ink to the black ink I created varying tones, and layered them slightly on top of each other to create a fading effect which represents the fading memories of my grandmother, the last colour gradually getting to a very light grey on the white fabriano paper that I used, however its still clear to make out. I am hoping to emboss the woodcut on the last section - so that there is no ink used, only an impression on the paper.

Woodcut prints

This is one of my woodcuts. I varied them with different colour blacks and greys.

Woodcut & Etching

After the easter break we were given the choice to do either woodcut or etching or woodcut and etching. I chose to do both as I wanted more variety in my prints. I decided to start with woodcut. I moved away from just focusing on my grandmother entirely and began to focus on fading memories of her and how I remembered her when she was healthy and happy. I began searching my house for old photographs, in my attic I luckily stumbled across an old dusty box which contained photographs from about 10 years ago. Many were of her at family parties, laughing and smiling. I began drawing from these and I edited some of my drawings in photoshop. I tried to create the effect that she was gradually fading using different tonal qualities.

I then decided to use one of my drawings ( which I drew in marker ) as my woodcut image. I cut it into the woodblock and cut around it so it was like a stamp. I then cut some fabriano sheets into long strips and began experimenting with my "stamp" and tonal qualities, until I achieved a fading effect that I was happy enough with and portrayed my concept of fading happy memories of my grandmother. I also experimented with transparencies on transparent paper and I though that this achieved an interesting effect that also tied in with my concept.

Sketchbook piece

This is a piece from my sketchobook that I am really quite fond of. I glued lace doilys onto the paper and then stained them using tea. I then drew one of my grannies old chairs on top. While drawing them the doileys would sometimes tear and this reminded me of the peeling wallpaper from her house.

Drawings

Here are a few drawings I did in preparation for my second lithograph

Photolithograph

This print is my first photolithograph. It is based on a wall paper pattern as this was one of the things that stood out for me the most when I visited her house. She used to play bridge when she was healthy and so I integrated the card suits with the wall paper design. This print will be a background and I will then print another lithograph - possibly a portrait of my grandmother, on top.

Animation - loss

Documenting Her House

I began to look for inspiration for my project. I went to my grandmothers house and took photographs. All the furniture was moved and all that was left were the shabby carpets and peeling wallpaper on the walls. The lights no longer worked and there was an overwhelming sense of loss and deterioration.

Self Initiated Project

We are now in our second semester of 2nd year printmaking. For this half of the year we are allowed create our own brief and work and develop this brief either using the method of photolithograph or silkscreen. I picked photolithograph as I was interested in the process and I was eager to try it out.

I began looking at memory, dreams and the mind. It is a very borad subject and I wanted to make it more personal to me. My grandmother suffers from Alzheimers Disease, and she has lost both her mind and memory.

Documenting drawing

In William Kentridge's Short Films, he documents his drawings intermittently. I attempted this in one of my self portraits.